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The Furry Critter Network

Gold Capped Conure Species Description

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Breed Organization

National Audubon Society

Cornell Lab of Orinthology

The Avian Web


Other Names
N/A

Classification
Order Psittaciformes
Family Psittacidae

Scientific Name
Aratinga Auricapilla

Species Description

Green in color, with the cheeks, ear coverts and throat a yellowish green or slightly yellowish. The areas around the eyes and the forehead are red to orangish red. The crown is yellowish and the breast and abdomen are a reddish brick.. The lower back and rump have green feathers with red edges. The primary feathers, wing coverts, and under-wing coverts are blue. The tail is olive green with a bluish tip. Adults have a brown iris and the naked eye ring is whitish. The Gold Capped Conure is about 30 cm in length and weighs about 150 grams. Juvenile birds have more yellow in the plumage and some red on the flanks and lower belly. The iris is dark blackish. The yellowish tinge in the under-wing covert s and cheeks is not as apparent. There is not as much red on the back and rump. They sexually mature at about two years of age.

Habitat

Natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, dry savanna, and plantations. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Distribution

These birds are native to southeastern Brazil (Bahia).


Captivity

These birds make a very warm and friendly pet. Great for people of all ages.

Summary

Conures are either large parakeets or small parrots that are found in the western hemisphere. They are analogous in size and way of life to the Old World's Rose-ringed Parakeets or the Australian parakeets. All living conure species are found in Central and South America; the extinct Conuropsis carolinensis or Carolina Parakeet was an exception. Conures are often called the clowns of the parrot world due to their constant attention seeking behavior including hanging upside-down and swaying back and forth or "dancing."

Despite being large for parakeets, conures are lightly built with long tails and small (but strong) beaks. Conure beaks always have a small cere and are usually horn-colored or black. Most conure species live in flocks of 20 or more birds. Conures often eat grain, which causes them to be treated as agricultural pests in some places.

Conures are as diverse a group as African Parrots, so trying to characterize them all is difficult and inaccurate. The category conure is loosely-defined because they do not currently constitute a natural, scientific grouping. The term conure is now used mostly in aviculture. Scientists tend to refer to these birds as "parrots" or "parakeets."


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